


A Perfect Family

by elliseleven



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Claire Lives AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-24 04:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18563740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliseleven/pseuds/elliseleven
Summary: Claire never went through with the experiment on that fateful day and so she could continue to live her life with her wonderful boyfriend - now husband - Hershel and his apprentice, Luke, and adopted daughter, Flora. She fits into the family perfectly.





	A Perfect Family

“Luke! It’s midday! What are you still doing in bed? That’s not gentlemanly, young man!”

Luke woke up with a start, still half asleep. He had had trouble getting to sleep the night before. It took a while to recognise the voice and when he did, he grinned to himself. “Sorry, Mrs. Layton!”

Claire giggled. She felt like she shouldn’t tease Luke since she wasn’t really his mother but it was fun all the same. Luke thought it was fun too so that’s all that mattered, really. “Apology accepted, Mr. Triton! Now, hurry up. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

Luke quickly dressed once he heard the word “breakfast”. He loved any food but he loved Claire’s cooking the most.

Hershel had heard their conversation from the kitchen where he was making two cups of tea. He laughed and smiled fondly at his wife. “Don’t you think you could be a bit gentler with him?”

“I could. But he seems to like our teasing so I’ve kept it up.”

Hershel nodded. It must remind him of Emmy. “Thank you for cooking breakfast again, dear. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome,” Claire smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Anything for my favourite professor!”

He chuckled. “I am your husband too if you remember.”

Claire shrugged. “Yeah, that too. I guess.” She winked at Layton, even though she knew that he knew she was teasing him.

Luke appeared in the kitchen, excitement in his eyes.

“Oh, you’re finally awake, Luke.”

“Yep! And I’m starving!”

“Well, it’s good for you that I made you some breakfast,” Claire giggled, handing the plate to Luke. 

“Thanks, Mrs. Layton!”

Claire blushed at the use of her surname. She loved it so. At the same time, however, she giggled. “For the last time, call me Claire!”

Luke frowned. “But I don’t call the Professor by his first name.”

Claire glanced at Hershel who just shrugged. “But I’m not the Professor, am I?”

“Well…” Luke mused. “I guess that makes sense. I like saying Mrs. Layton though.”

“Could you try calling me Claire just the one time? Pretty please?” Claire batted her eyelashes and they both laughed, neither of them able to take it seriously. Hershel chuckled to himself in the corner as well.

“Okay, Claire. Thank you very much for breakfast!”

Claire smiled. “You’re very welcome, Luke!”

The three of them laughed at the exaggerated politeness of it all. Luke then left the room to enjoy his scrambled egg and bacon with a tip of his hat, something he learned from the professor.

“You’re very good with him,” Hershel commented.

“You think so?” She knew that Luke liked her but she didn’t really think of herself as a parent to him, as she supposed Layton was suggesting.

“Yes, definitely.”

“Oh, good,” Claire smiled.

She took her cup of tea, after thanking Layton for making them, and they stood in comfortable silence. The two of them had only been married a couple of months but it all seemed to be going well and Claire was planning to move in with Hershel in a few weeks. Claire knew that she couldn’t take this all for granted. She had almost been involved in a fatal accident, after all. 

News was leaked that the time machine that Claire and Dimitri had been building wasn’t fit for human testing, despite Bill Hawks insisting they should go on with the experiment. Dimitri had been trying to give hints to her for weeks but she hadn’t understood. They only talked during work so he couldn’t be overt with her. Claire had been too busy to go out somewhere more private with Dimitri so he ended up blurting it out just as Claire was about to leave the building on the day before the experiment was supposed to take place.

They finally made time to talk and Claire was in shock. To think that it could all be over in an instant. She would have had no idea that that was her last day on earth. She would have never got to say goodbye to her parents, to her friends, to Hershel.

She was brought back to reality with a hand on her shoulder. Claire took a shuddering breath and realised she had been crying. She thought she was over this by now but it still came back to her at unexpected times.

Hershel didn’t need to ask what was wrong. He remembered that day so clearly. Claire had run back to Layton’s office in floods of tears. She burst the door down and she was sobbing violently. Hershel had been in shock as Claire threw herself at him, shaking. It took a long time for her to calm down enough to tell him what had happened.

Claire looked up at her husband with teary eyes. She began to speak but Hershel enveloped her in a hug.

“It’s alright, my love. No need to worry over it now.”

Hershel's soothing voice calmed her and she smiled, feeling safe in his arms. 

“I love you, Hershel.”

Layton had begun to cry too. He had also been affected by Claire's near-fatal accident. “I love you too, Claire.”

Claire pulled away from him and wiped his tears away with her thumb.

“Don't you start too!”

Layton chuckled. “I apologise.”

Claire laughed and Hershel couldn't help but smile. He loved her laugh more than anything. “You apologise way too much, you know.”

“Surely, it's how a gentleman should act. You were always the one to tell me that.”

Claire nodded. “Yes, I admit that. But maybe take a break from stuff like that sometimes, eh?”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“That’s my Hershel,” she beamed and kissed him. No matter how often they kissed, both Hershel and Claire felt an indescribable sense of warmth flow through their bodies. All was right with the world at that moment and nothing else mattered.

“Uh, Professor?”

The couple parted quickly, their cheeks flushing. Hershel brought the brim of his hat low to cover his eyes.

“Sorry to intrude. I just…” Luke mumbled, seeming as embarrassed as Layton and Claire were.

The gentleman quickly composed himself, however. “It’s alright, my boy. Did you need something?”

“I- um, I just was going to offer to wash up the dishes from breakfast.”

“That’s very kind of you, Luke,” Hershel smiled. It was only a small feat of politeness but he could see Luke going far with that kind of attitude.

“Yes, thank you, Luke.” Claire was still quite flustered. 

As Luke began to fill the washing up bowl with warm soapy water, Hershel and Claire decided to go and sit in the living room. It probably wasn’t best to stay in the kitchen. It would be too awkward.

Claire let her head fall onto Hershel’s shoulder and yawned. She had been working hard recently. She and Dimitri quit working for Bill Hawks as soon as his secret was revealed. They couldn’t stand being in the same room as him anymore. Having experience and talent in her field, Claire quickly found another institute to work at and she has had a lot to catch up on since she started working. She had managed to get a day off as she knew that she needed rest.

“Are you alright, dear?” Hershel put his arm around her.

“Yeah, I’m just tired from work.”

Hershel knew very well how that felt. “I understand. You can take a nap if you wish.”

“Well, goodnight, Hershel.” 

“Sleep well, my love.” He planted a kiss on the woman’s forehead and she smiled.

About ten minutes later, Luke came into the living room and smiled at the sight of Claire and Hershel both asleep on the sofa. He knew they both worked hard in their careers so they both needed rest.

Flora arrived home a while later from her lectures at Gressenheller. She too beamed at her parents asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Flora whispered to Luke, not wanting to wake them up.

“Yeah.”

Flora and Luke continued to talk quietly about their days and, soon enough, Hershel began to stir which woke Claire up too.

“Ah, I didn’t hear you come in, Flora.” Hershel tipped his hat to her. “How were your lectures?”

“Oh, they were very interesting, Papa,” she smiled.

“Hi, Flora,” Claire smiled, slowly lifting herself up to a sitting position.

“Did you sleep well, Claire?”

“Yes, I did.” She was slightly embarrassed that Flora had seen her napping, leaning up against the professor.

“Good,” Flora beamed. “Do you three want tea? I was just going to make some.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, my dear,” Hershel smiled.

The four of them sat on the sofa and armchair, drinking their tea. Hershel smiled. He felt as if they were a proper family, even if Flora nor Luke were his biological children. Claire felt the same way. She had always hoped that Flora would call her her mother but after hearing her say Claire for so long, she doubted that would ever happen.

“I’ll take your cups if you want,” Flora offered once they had all drained their cups.

“Thank you, Flora.” Claire was constantly impressed by how courteous Flora was.

“You’re welcome, Mama. I mean-” Flora’s hand flew to her mouth. Even she was surprised that she had said it. “Sorry. I-”

Claire’s voice cracked as tears came to her eyes. “It’s okay, Flora. I’m… happy you think of me as your mother.”

Flora looked at Claire as she began to cry too. She had never been sure that Claire thought of her as part of the family. “Really?”

“Yeah!”

Flora suddenly ran to Claire and hugged her tight, like she did when the Professor saved her in St Mystere all those years ago. Claire gasped, surprised by how sudden this all was but she accepted the hug either way. She glanced to Hershel and Luke who were both smiling widely. She squeezed Flora and then let her go.

“Just remember that I think of you as a daughter too.”

Flora nodded, wiping her eyes. “And I think of you as my mum.”

“Glad we settled that!” She laughed, still a little emotional.

Flora quickly gathered the empty cups and excused herself to the kitchen.

“You really are part of the family now!” Luke said happily. He had always seen Claire as a guardian, just like the professor.

“Thanks, Luke,” she smiled. “God, why am I still crying?” She laughed, embarrassed with herself.

“It’s quite alright to cry, my dear,” Hershel murmured, using his thumb to wipe away a falling tear. “It is expected to become emotional about such things.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Sensing that they would rather be alone, Luke excused himself as well, saying that he was going to help Flora in the kitchen. Both Hershel and Claire were grateful for this.

“You know, Hershel…” Claire faltered. She had wanted to say this for a while but didn’t know how to go about it.

“Yes, Claire?”

“I’ve always wanted a family. Like, the traditional way.”

Hershel blanched. He knew in what way she meant and talk of that subject always made him uncomfortable.

Claire giggled. “I don’t want to anymore! It’s just something I grew up with. Find a man to get married to, move in with him, have kids, and grow old together.”

“Well, we’ve already done one of those things,” Hershel smiled.

“I know. But kids was something I  _ really  _ wanted, you know? But when you found your apprentice and rescued Flora from St Mystere, I started thinking something else. I could still have a family even if my children weren’t directly related to me. And now I couldn’t think of anything else. Flora and Luke, and you are the perfect family.”

Hershel smiled warmly. “I agree. However, I think you make this family even more perfect.”

“Oh, shut up!” Claire giggled, blushing furiously. “You’re so embarrassing!”

Hershel laughed. “It is the truth, my love.”

“Fine.”

They kissed once more and they would have kissed longer but they knew that Flora or Luke could interrupt them at any moment as they couldn’t hear them talking anymore. Hershel snuck one last peck on her lips before the teenagers came back into the living room.

“Hey, Professor. I’ve thought of a puzzle, do you want to try it?” Luke asked once he had sat down.

“Of course, Luke. I would love to.”

Claire grinned and whispered loudly to Flora, “I swear, that man loves puzzles more than he loves me.”

Flora giggled and Hershel turned to Claire with a smirk. “Now, now, Claire. You know that isn’t true.”

“We’ll see,” she rolled her eyes jokingly which made Luke laugh too.

Hershel chuckled as he waited for Luke to explain the puzzle to him. He was a very lucky man to find someone as wonderful as Claire and he was sure to never forget that.


End file.
